Circular-knitting machine.



E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR 5, 1909.

" Patented Mar. 7, '1911.

6 SHEETSSHEET 1.

E. PAQU ETTE. GIRGULAR KNITTING MAGHINE.

IAPPLIGATION FILED M11 5. 1909.

' Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

s SHEETS-SHEET? rIl/IIII/IIIHI/IIIO Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. PAQUETTE.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR5.190.9.

Patented Mar. 71 1911 E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILEID APR. 5,1909.

atented Mar. 7, 1911.

E. PAQUETTE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.5,190'9.

zggg ggg Patented; Mai; Z1913.

6 SHEETSrBHEET 6.

IllllI|lIll!|llIllIllIIllIIlllIIIllIIllIll|Illll|llllIlllllllllllllllllllllll'Jig iinirsn rarns earns" crate.

E XILIAS PAQUETTE, OF'LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCE MANU-FACTURING COMFANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OE MASSA- ToaZZ whomii may concern Be itknown that I, EXILIAS PAQUETTE, a citizen ofthe United, States, residmg at 7' Lowell, in 'the county of'MiddleseXand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements 1n ClI'-' cular-Knitting Machinesrand I do hereby declarethe following to be aifull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which. itappertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to that class of cir cular knitting machines inwhich the needles are mounted in a needle cylinder and are operated uponby cams and controlling devices arranged about the cylinder, therelative movements between the needle and the needle operating cams anddevices requisite for knitting a tubular fabric provided at intervalswith heel and toe pockets, being produced by rotary and reciprocatorymovements of either the needle cylinder or the supporter cylinder onwhich the needle operating cams and controlling devices are mounted.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplifiedconstruction and arrangement of needle operating cams and devices forknitting split foot stockings, upon the above type of circular knittingmachines. 4

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement on theconstruction of machine shown anddescribed in patent No. 928,105,

July 13, 1909, although it will be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to this construction of machine, and that thefeatures of the invention may be embodied in other constructions andother forms of circular knittingmachines for producing seamless hosiery.

The invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and as defined in the claims. 1

The various features of the invention will be understood from aninspection of the acc mpanying drawings.

In these drawings Figure 1 is an elevation showing so much of a knittingmachine as is necessary for anundersta-ndmg of the features of the'present invention; Fig. 2 is a CIRCULAR-KNITTING MAGHINE.

'; i Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Mar. 7, 1911-.

Serial No. 487,876.

detail plan view of certain parts to be hereinafter described; Fig. 3 isa plan view with the can'r cylinder and needle cylinder removed; Fig. 4is a plan view of the cam cylinder; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line-5 Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the picker shown in Fig. 5;Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the picker shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is anelevation showing a development of the inside of thecam cylinder; Fig. 8is a perspective detail view showing the construction of the pickershown in Fig. 5 Fig. 0 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement ofthe long and short butt needles; Fig. 10 is a detail plan-view of theshifter ring; Fig. 11 is a detailed elevation of the cam post forcontrolling the operation of the depressing pickers; Fig. 12 is adetailed elevation of certain parts to behereinafter described; andFigs. 13 and Marc details of the thread guid ng devices for thesupplemental cams.

In the drawings the various features of the invent-ion are illustratedas embodied in a circular knitting machine having many of its partsconstructed and arranged in the manner in whiclrthe corresponding partsare constructed and arranged in the machine which is illustrated in thepatents to Mayo, No. 474,861, May 10,1892, and No. 7 16,4149, December1, 1903, which will for con venienee be referred to as the Mayo machine. In this machine the needles are carried in a needle cylinder, andare operated and controlled during the kmttmg by cams carried by a can'i,cylinder, which is either rotated or reciprocated, according to thepart of the fabric or stocking which is being produced. 1 In embodyingthe present improvements in this machine, I have retained the generalconstruction and arrangementof the operating and controlling devices andhave combined therewith certain additional needle operating andcontrolling devices, so

that the mode of operation of the machine is changed and a differentproduct is produced. In illustrating the invention, I have shown only somuch of the machine as 1s necessary toan understanding of the featuresconstituting the present invention, it

being understood that the motion changing mechanism, and theconstruction and mode of operationof the pattern mechanism forcontrolling the movements of various parts of the machine, are ingeneral the same as in the Mayo machine. In the present machine,however, the devices for controlling the change of motion from rotary toreciprocating, and vice versa, are so constructed that ing to disconnectthe clutch shifting lever from the clutch shifting yoke, as fullydescribed in the patent above referred to.

In the machine shown the needle cylinder is the same in construction asthe needle cylinder in the Mayo machine, and is supported in the samemanner. .The needles are divided into two substantially semicirculargroups or series, one group, which is in active during the knitting ofthe heel and toe, being provided with long butts, and the other group,which is active during the knitting of the heel and toe as well asduring the knitting of the other parts of the stocking, being providedwith short butts. Between the two long'butt needles at each end of theseries of long butt needles'L (Fig. 9), short butt needles 8 s areinterposed, and these needles, together with the needles Z Z of the longbutt series, comprise the suture needles for connecting the fabrics knitupon the two groups of needles in knitting the split foot of a stocking.

The cam cylinder is provided with devices for throwing the long buttneedles out of action during theknittingof the heel and toe, and withneedle elevating and needle depressing pickers for efiecting thenarrowing and widening during the knitting of the heel and toe, whichare similar in construction and mode of operation to the correspondingdevices in the Mayo machine, and is also provided with two sets ofknitting cams and devices codperating'therewith during the knitting ofthe foot of the stocking to direct the short buttneedles through one setof knitting cams, and to direct the long butt needles through the-otherset of knitting cams and out of the path'of the-cams which act on theshort butt needles, which are similar in general construction and modeof operation to the corresponding two sets of knittingc cams andcooperating devices shown'and described in the prior application abovereferred to. The second set of knitting cams which act upon the longbuttneedles during the knitting of the split foot-are so constructed andcontrolled that they act upon all the needles during rotary knitting,although such construction and arrangement is not essential to certainfeatures of the invention.

'vating cams 10 and 11.

As shown in Fig. 7, the knitting cams which act upon all the needlesduring rotary knitting, and upon theshort butt needles during theknitting of the heel, toe and foot, and which may for convenience betermed the main knitting cams, comprisethe two stitch cams 2 and 3, thecenterswitch cam 4, andthe two elevating cams 5'and 6. The knitting camswhich act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and upon the longbutt needles during the knitting or" the split foot, and which may forconvenience be termed supplemental knitting cams, comprlse the twostitch cams 7 and 8,

the center switch cam 9, and the two eleswitch cams 4 and 9 arepivotally mounted upon vertically adjustable slides 12 and 13,

and are similar in construction to the center switch cam of the Mayomachine. The elevating pickers 14 andy1'5 and their con trolling latchesare similar in construction to the pickers and latches of the Mayomachine, and the throwing of these pickers into and out of action iscontrolled by a cam post 16 as in the Mayo machine. The

depressing pickers 17 and 18, and their The two center so I the needleswhich are in the upper or 'inactive plane at the end of reelprocatory'knitting to the active plane, is the same in construction andarrangement the correspondingcam in the Mayo machine. This cam ismounted upon a rock shaft23 supported in the c am cylinder, and providedat its outer end witha pinion 24 which is engaged by a-rack on the sideof a vertically movable slide 25. Tli'eslide 25 is raised and lowered atthe proper times by two cam arms 26 arranged to be moved alternatelyinto position to operate upon a pin 27 which projects radially from theslide.

In order that the supplemental knitting cams may operate upon alltheneedles during rotary knitting, and may operate upon only the long b'uttneedles during the knitting of the split foot, the center switch cam 9is arranged to be moved radially inward so as to engage the butts of allthe needles, or to be moved radially outward to a position where it willengage only the butts of thelong butt needles. The inward and outwardmovements are imparted to the switch cam 9 at proper intervals by meansof a bell crank lever.28, one end of which is connected- 50 "the needledepressing cams 32 and 33 are by a link 29 with a crank pin 30 carriedby the shaft 23, and the other end of which engages a slot formed in thecylindrical sha. k

of the switch cam (Figs. 4t and 7). I The devices for directing the longbutt needles through the supplemental knitting cams, and out of the pathof the main knit ting cams during the continuance of the reciprocatoryknitting, after the completion of the heel or toe, as the case may be,comprise the needle elevating cam 22, a needle elevating cam 31 arrangedon the opposite side of-the knitting cams, and two needle depressingcams 32 and 83 arranged on opposite sides of the knitting cams andadapted to engage both long and short butt needles. Duringthereciprocating of the cam cylinder in one direction, the cam 22 acts toraise the long but-t needles into the inactive plane after they havepassed under the knitting cam 8 and up the elevating cam 11, and duringthe return stroke the butts of all the needles in .the inactive seriesengage the cam 32 and are directed down into the active plane by.

this cam and the inclined end of the guard cam 34. These long buttneedles engage the switch cam 9, and are directed into the path of thestitch cam 7. After passing the stitch cam 7, the butts of the longneedles pass up the elevating cam 10 and up the cam 31 into the inactiveplane. When the motion ot the cam cylinder is reversed, the butts of theneedles .lIl the inactive series engage the depressing cam 33 and aredirected by this engage the short butt needles, and the ele- -.vat1ngcams 22 and 31, are of such thickness that they will not engagethe'short butt needles. The short butt needles therefore pass idly bythe stitch cams 7 and 8, and are operated by the stitch cams 2 and 3.

During the knitting of the heel and toe moved downward so that they willbe out of the path .of thebutts of the needles in the upper or inactiveplane, and are still out of the path of the butts of the needles in thelower or active plane and are returned into their upper active positionat the complet-ion of the heel and toe. The devices for thus operatingthe needle depressing cams comprise two bell crank levers 36 and 37provided at one end with slots engaging pins projecting radiallyfronrthe slides 38 and 39 on which the cams are mounted. The other endsof the bell crank levers are connected by links 40 and 41 with theopposite ends of an arm 12. which is secured to a rock shaft [in arm l-lis secure'dtothe outerend of the rock shaft 43, and--is pro-1 vided witha radially projecting pin- 45 arranged to engage and be operated by af-cam arm 46 (Figs. 1 and 3). The cam-arni rti' is secured upon a rockshaft e't7 which is mounted in the fixed standard 48, and is provided atits outer end with. an arm 49. The arm tfi-is held in cngagen'ient withthe upper end of a vertically movable rod 50 by a spring 51. The lowerend of the rod 51 is arranged to be engaged and operated by a cam block52 carried by one end of a bell crank lever 53 which is secured to arock shaft The other end of the bell crank lever is connected by a linkwith the rear end of a lever .36. This lever corresponds to the lever ofthe Mayo machine which is connected with the clutch shitting lever andoperates to raise and lower the needle cylinder to vary the length ofthe stitches on the heel and toe. When the high part of the cam block 52is in position under the end of the rod 50, the cam arm 46 is held inthe position indicated in the drawings, so that it. will act whenengaged by the pin &5 to rock the shaft 43 into the position indi catedin the drawings, thus raising the necdle depressing cams 32-and 33 intoactive position as indicated in the drawings. When the high part of thecam block 52 is moved from under the rod 50, the cam arm 46 willbe swungup into position to be 'engaged by the pin 45, and to shift the pindownward, thus rocking the shaft 48 and moying the needle depressingcams 32 and 33 down into inactive position out at the path of the needlebutts of the upper or inactive series of needles.

The needle elevating cam 31 is secured on the inner end of a shaft 57which is mounted in the cam cylinder and is acted upon by a torsionalspring 56 which tends to hold the cam in its active position, asindicated in Fig. 7. Du1'ing rotary knit-ting the butts of the long buttneedles pass under the cam 81. in a direction from left to right in Fig.7, and the cam yields. to allow the passage of the needle butts andrides idly along the tops of the needle butts until-the long buttneedles havepassed, and then automatically returns to actiye position.The cam therefore remains 1n active v position when the throughthesupplemental knitting cams in knitting a split foot. 5

It is important, for reasons which will be more fullyexplained'hereafter, that neither 15 in knitting the heel and toe.

of the short butt suture needles should perate to knit during the firstreverse stroke of the needle cylinder in going upon the heel, in casethe heel is knit before the foot,

.or in going upon the toe, in case the toe is knit before knitting thefoot. Forconvenience it will be assumed in further explanation of theoperation of the machine that it i is arranged to first knit the leg ofthe stocking, and to knit the foot after the heel has 15 before itreaches the knitting cams, so

that this needle will not knit during this stroke of the needlecylinder. The means which are provided for raising the suture needle 8in to the inactive series, so that this needle shall not 'knit duringthe first reverse stroke of the cam cylinder in going on to the heel,consists of a novel form of picker constructed to be operated by a longbutt needle, and means for moving along 3O butt needle from the upper orinactive series down into position to actuate the picker. In theconstruction shown, the depressing picker 1 8 is so cont-rolled thatwhen the motion 'of the needle cylinder is reversed in going on to theheel, it is in active position where it will engage the leading needle 1of the series of long butt needles, and carry this needle down into theactive plane. This long butt needle is utilized to actuate a 40 picker.which is so constructed that when actuated by engagement with the longbutt needle, it will lift the long butt needle and the suture needle 8at the rear end of the series of short butt needles .up into the in- .45active plane, so that this short butt needle will not knit during thefirst reverse stroke of the cam cyl'inde I p The picker for raising thesuture needle 8 from the active into the inactive series during thefirst reverse stroke of the cylin-' der, is in the form of an arm 59which is mounted to swing vertically about a pivot 60 carried by a pivotblock 61. The block 61 is mounted to turn about a vertical. pivot 62, sothat-the picker arm may move horizontally as well as vertically.Thepicker arm extends through a slot formed in the cam cylinder, and isprovided on its inner end with a needle engaging lip 63 adapted tounderlie the path of the needle butts. The inner end of the picker isalso providedwith substantially vertical needle engaging shoulder 64:,which is so arranged that it is out of the path of the shortneedle'ibutts,

while in position to be engaged by the butt of a long butt needle. Aspring 65 is connected to the picker, and tends-to hold the picker inactive position, as indicated in Figs. 4, 7 and S of the drawings.During the first reverse stroke of the cam cylinder in passing on to theheel, the short butt needles pass idly by the picker 59 in a directionfrom right to left in Figs. 5, 7 and 8 As the rear end of the series ofshort butt needles approaches the picker 59, the long butt needle Z isengaged by the depressing picker 18, and is brought down into the activeseries directly in advance of the short butt needles 8. When the longbutt needle Z reaches the picker 59,it engages the shoulder 64 of thepicker and swings the picker toward the left in Figs. 7 and 8. At thistime the horizontal lip 68 of the picker underlies the butt of theneedle 3 as well as the butt of the needle Z. During the continuedtravel of the cam cylinder,- the picker 59 will be swung toward the leftby its engagement with the butt of theneedle Z,

and during this movement the picker arm rides up the incline 66, andalsoswings radi ally outward so that the needles Z s are raised up outof the active series, and are delivered by the picker onto the upper endof theelevating cam 31, by-which their upward movement into the inactiveseries is completed, the upper part of the cam 81 being of suflicientthickness to engage both Immediately long and short butt needles. thepicker 59 is released from engagement with the needle butts, itisreturnedto normal position by the spring 65. When the picker 18 isoperated by engagement with the butt of the needle Z, it is engaged byits latch 20 and is retained in inactive position during the narrowingoperation.

The picker 59 is so arrangedas described below that it is out of thepatliof the long but-t needles during the'knittin'g of the split foot,and is so-mounted that it may ride idly along the butts of the long buttneedles during rotary knitting. The construction and arrangement of thepicker constitutes a feature of the invention whiclreontributes to thesimplicity of the construction and avoids the necessity of providingdevices for throwing the picker into and out of active p0-- As shown,the

sition at proper intervals.

picker 59 is so arranged that its inner end overlies the pivotedbridge-cam 67 which bridges over the space between the upper end of theelevating cam 10 and the uppersurface of the stitch camlplate'l. Withthis arrangement of the picker, the long butt needles passing up theneedle elevating cam 10, and on to the needle elevating cam 31, will.pass to the left of the picker, in Fig. 7,

while the butts ofthe. long butt needles I pwhich pass down the needledepressing cam the picker. During rotaryv knitting the butts of the longbutt needles strike the rear (left Fig. 7) side of the inner end of thepicker, and the spring 65 yields to allow the picker to swing toward theright and ride idly along the needle butts until'the long butts havepassed, when the picker is returned by. the spring to its normalposition. When the long butt needles are raised into the inactive seriesat the beginning of the heel, the picker is therefore left in activeposition ready to operate in the manner heretofore described. f

1 The machine'is provided with yarn changing mechanism 68 arranged todeliver yarn to the needles at the point whereJthcy are operated by the.main knitting cams, and is operated to change the yarn in passing fromthe leg" to the heel and after the completion of the toe. The'latch ring69 is also provided with a thread, guide 70 for feeding yarn to theneedles at the point where they are operated by the'supplemental cams.

In order that the thread may be properly delivered to the needles duringreciprocatory knitting in knitting the split foot, the thread guide70'is made in the form of a circumfcrenti'all v extending slot. The'endsof the guiding shit 70 are-so arranged that they. will act to properlydirect the thread to the knitting waves formed by the knitting cams 7and 8 respectively as the cam cylinder is reciprocated in knit-ting thesplit foot. 'In order to shift the thread from one end of the guidingslot to the other, and to insure the positioning of the .thread againstthe end ofthe slot, thread guides 7 0 and 7 0 are mounted on the slnkercamring. 7 0. These thread guiding devices on the sinker cam ring are soarranged with relation to each other and to the guiding slot 70, thatduring the rotation of the cam cylinder in one direction the guidingdevice 70 will engage the thread leading from the thread eye 69 to theguiding slot 70, and will retain. the thread in one end of the slot 70.When the motion ofthe'cam cylinder is reversed, the sinker cam ringshifts relatively to the cam cylinder and latch ring in the usualmanner, and

the thread guide 70 engages the thread and carries it to the other endof the slot 7 0,

and retains itin this end of the slot during the movementof the camcylinder'in this direction. When the cam cylinder is again reversed, thethread guide 7O engages the thread and. 'earries it tothe other end ofthe guiding slot and retains it in this end of the slot during themotion of the cam'cyllnder in this direction. I The latch ring may beprovided with a second thread guide 7O slnnlar to the guide 70, andarranged on the opposite side of the thread engaging devices 70 and 70VVit-h this construction the thread guides 70 and 70 and deflect thethread so that it will run against the ends of-the guiding slots 70 and70, thus rendering the action of the thread guiding devices mcrecertainand reliable.

Assuming that a split foot stocking is to be knit in which the leg andtop ofthe-foot are knit from black yarn, and the heel, toe and bottom ofthe foot are trnbe knit from white yarn, the operation of the machine isas follows: During the knitting of the leg of the stocking the parts arein the position indicated in the drawings, and black yarn is supplied tothe needles by the yarn changing device, and also by the threadeuide 7O.

Both the main and siuoplenicntal knitting cams act upon the needles, andtwo knitting.

the machine is shifted tochange the-motion of the cam cylinder fromrotary to recipro catory. At this time the lever 56 is shifted to causethe shifting of the needle depressing cams 32 and 33 down into inactiveposition. At the same time the cam arm 71' which holds the shifter ring7 2 in normal position is operated to release the shifter ring. Thisshifter ring corresponds inconst-ruction to I the shifter ring of theMayo machine.

When the shifter ring is thus released,'it is shifted by its spring 7 3until the stop plate 74 engages the stop lever 75. This movement of theshifter ring brings the high'part 76 of the cam plate? 7 which issecuredto the ring into engagement with the cam post 21, swinging said postback so that the V-shaped cam at its upper end is out of the path of thepins 78 and 79 which project radially from the latches 19and 20 for thedepressing pickers. This movement of the shifter ring also moves thehigh part of the cam 80 out from-engagement-with the cam post 16 whichcontrols. the latches for the ele vating pickers, allowingthe cam postto inove forward. intoposition to be engaged by the radially projectingpins on the picker latches. This throws the elevating pickers intooperation. This movement of theshifter ring also'shifts the cam arms 26,so that the ..upper cam arm is moved out of active position, and thelower cam arm is moved into active position. During the. continuedadvance movement of the cam cylinder after the shifter ring hasbeen thusshifted, the

pin 27 rides against the cam surface on the lower cam arm 26, thusshifting-the ,I needle elevating cam 22, so that during the last forwardrevolution of the cam cylinder,

, the long butt needles are raised into-the upper or inactive plane. Therocking of the shaft 23 which moves the cam 22 into position to raisethe long butt needles into the inactive planeals'o withdraws the switchcam 9 out of 'the path of the shortbutt needles and into position whereit will operate upon the long butt needles when they are deflected downinto the active plane. The yarn changing device is also operated atthistime to change the yarn',so that white yarn is delivered tothe'needles at the point Z. The thread is held taut during this time"ing thread leadingvthrough the'thread guide wher e they are operated onby the main 70 therefore draws idly back and forth through the threadguide as the cam cylinder reciprocates, being laid about the needles asthe thread guide passes away from the ineedlelZ in either direction,and' being drawn back through the thread eye as the thread eyeapproaches the. needle by a takeup, of the usual construction. Thepurpose-of throwing the short butt suture needles 3 upainto the inactiveseries on the .first return stroke of the needle cylinder in forming theheel can best be explained at this point. If the short butt needle 8'were allowed to knit on the return stroke of the needle cylinder,'theblack thread leading from the needle Z. to the thread guide. 70

' would lay across the needle 8 at the time that this needle draws aloop of White-yarn,

and'the black yarn would therefore be connected with thefabric at theneedle 8. If this should occur, the black thread,,in'stead of leadingfrom the needle Z during the knitting of the heel, would lead fromtheneedle 8', and when the knitting with the black thread upon the longbutt needles was. resumed in going from the heel on to the foot, theblack thread would (not be properly presented to the needle Z, and astitch would be dropped at this point, thus forming a hole andimperfection in the fabric. 4 During the first reverse stroke of the camcylinder on the heel thesuture needle 8 is raised into the inactiveseries by the picker 15, and: the needle Z. is carrieddown into theactive plane by the picker 18, ,which is then latched' in inactive.position. The needles Z and s ;are raised into the inactive series bythe picker59 in,the manner already described. The shortbutt needle 9 istherefore the last needle-to knit with thewhite yarn during this strokeof the needle cylinder, and the black yarn leads from the needle Zduring the knitting of the heel, and is properly presented to the needlewhen this needle is operated during-tl1e formation .of the first jcourseon the foot. During the following rewciprocations of the cam cylinder,the fabric knit by the short butt needles is narrowed by. the'picker s1e and 15. When the narrow;

ing has been completed, the stop lever 75 is operatedto release theshifter ring 72, so

that'the ring is again shifted by its spring 73f This movement of theshifter ring carries the high part 76 of the cam 77 out of engagementwith the cam post 21, so that 'the cam post moves forward into its mostadvanced position where the V-shaped cam atits upper end is in positionto engage and operate both of the latch pins 7 8 and 79.

This renders the depressing pickers active, so that the fabric which isknit upon the short butt 'needles is gradually widened.

When the heel has been completed, the lever 56 is returned to theposition indicated in Figs; 1 and 2, thus bringing the cam block 52under therod 50, and shifting the cam arm a6 into the position indicatedin Fig. 1. Thi's'brings the,cam arm into position to cause the shiftingof the needle depressing cams 82;and 33 into their upper or activeposition. This movement of the lever 56 also shifts the shifter ring 72back into its intermediate position;- where the high part 76 of thecam'plate 77 engages the cam post 21 and holds it back in its retractedposition, thus throwing the depressing pickers out of operationa Theconnections through which this shifting of the shifter ring is ef- Ifected, consists of an arm 81 seeured to the rock shaft- 54 and arrangedto engage the ,end of the cam plate 77. YVhen the shifter is movedbackto its intermediate position by the arm 81 it is retained in thisposition I by the stop lever- 7 5 which drops down back of the stopplate 77. During the continued reciprocation of the cam cylinder, theshort butt needles are? actuated by the main knittingcams,- While thelong butt needles are actuated by the supplemental knitting cams, theshort"butt suture needle at the forward end of the series of short buttneedles being lifted out of the active plane at each stroke of the camcylinder, so that onlythat short butt needle Wh1Cl'l IlS the last toknit in the series of sh rt butt needles is actuated at each stroke ofthe cam cylinder. 1

When the foothas been completed and the toe is reached, the lever 56 isagain operated to shift the cam block 52 to swing the cam arm 16 intoposition where it will operate to move the needle depresslng eam's 32and 33 into lnactlve position. The .long

butt needles will I10w"rc1nain in the upper inactive series, and thefabric knit upon "the upper arin into active position, and will alsocarry the cam plate 77 intoposition I where the'cam post 21 willrestagainst theintermediate portion 82 of the cam 'plate.- At this timealsothe lever 56, is shitted to throw the cam arm .46 intoposition tooper the short butt needles will be gradually'narrowed by the action ofthe elevating pickers. V hen the narrowing is completed, the stop lever75 will be again operated to re lease the shifter ring 72, so that itmay be shifted into its extreme position, thus throw ing the needledepressing pickers 'into opera ation to effect the Widening.

changing clutch will be shifted to change the motion from reciprocatingto rotary, and the cam lever 71 will be operated toreturn the shifterring 72 to its initial position.- This movement of the shifter ringwill. operate the cam arm 26 to move the lower arm out ofactive positionto bring atethe needledepressing cams 32'and raise them into theiractive position. Now during the first revolution of the, cam cylinder onrotary knitting,the rackslide 25 will be depressed, thus rocking theshaft 23- and throwing the cam 22 up out of active position, and bringthe cam lip 22 into position to direct all the needles in the upper orinactiveseries'down intothe active or lower plane. This movement of therock shaft- 23 also moves-the switchcam. 9: radially inward intopositionto be engaged by the butts of the short butt needles." "Duringthis revolution of the cam cylinder-the pin rides againstthe cam 46,thus'shifting the needle depressing cams 32' and 33 into their'npper 1or active position.- The movement of the needle depressing cams 32 atthis time cf- :fects no function; and is due to the fact that in theMayo machine the lever 56 is shifted at thistime. "During thisrevolutionof the cam cylinder. also, the latch pin 79, which at the upper end ofthe cam post 21 may be i s .-'somewhat longerthan the latch pin 78,ridesover the cam atthe ,upper end of the cam post 21, thus releasingthedepressing,v

picker 1'8, so'that this picker remains in act veposit on during rotaryknitting, ready td-depress a long butt needle 1/ during the firstreverse stroke in going onto theheel, as

above described. The inner end of the cam cut-away,as indicated in Fig.11, so that it will give the. latch 20 just enough moveijnent ktorelease the picker 18. Thiswill reduce the. weight on the cam post asthe latch'pin rapidly passes over the post dur-' ing rotary knitting. Asthe change ,is made from reciprocating to rotary knitting atter "thecompletion of the toe, the yarn changer is operated to change the yarnso that black yarn will be delivered to the After the widening has beencompleted, the motion ciprocatory machine and to the machine of theapplica- ..tion abovereferred to, it will be understood that thisspecific construction and arrangement of parts is not essential to thein- 'vention inits. broader aspects, and maybe varied and modified inaccordance with the construction and arrangement of the vari ousdevices. in the particular machine in which the invention is to beembodied, without departing from the invention.

Having set forth the nature and object of the invention, andspecifically described one .form of machine in which itmay be embodied,what I claim is:

1. A c rcular knitting machine, having,

; in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long zind short buttneedles, a cam cylinder provided with main knitting cams, supplementalknitting cams arranged to act -.upon""only the long .butt needles duringreciprocatory' knitting, needle elevating cams arranged, on oppositesides of the supplemntal cams in a position to engage the flong buttneedles only,'vertically movable 'needle depressing cams, a rock shaftcar- .ried with the cam cylinder connections to raise andi lower theneedle depressing cams froml'therock shaft, and a stationary cam armandconnections for operating the rock shaft, substantially as described. 2.A circular knitting machine, having, mcombmation, a needle cylinderprovlded with long and short butt needles, a cam cylinder provided withmain. knitting cams, supplemental knitting'cams arranged to act upononly the long butt needles during reciprocatory knitting, needleelevating cams arranged on opposite sides of the supplemental knittingcams in position to engage the longbutt' needles only, needle depressingcams arranged on opposite sides ofthe supplemental knitting cams, arelatively stationary cam arm, and devices on the cam cylinder arranged.to be operated by engagement with the cam arm for simultaneouslyraising and lowering the needle depressing cams, substantially asdescribed.

3. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder provided 'With long and short butt needles, a cam cylinderprovided with main knitting cams,

supplemental knitting cams arranged to act upon only the long buttneedles during re knitting, needle depressing cams on opposite-sides of,the supplemental 25 long butt needles into the-active plane, and

knitting cams. for directing the long butt ne'edles into thesupplemental knitting cams, a relatively stationary cam arm, devices onthe cam cylinder'connected with the needle de ressing cams'arranged toen gage and to e operated by the cam arm,

and means for shifting the cam arm alter-- nately into position torender the needle depressing C21111S'216t1V6 and lnactive, substan-,tially as described.

ll A circular knitting machine, having, in

combination, a cam cylinder provided with needle depressing cams ,32 and33, devices 'for raising and lowering the needle engag ing cams providedwith a projecting pin-45, a relatively stationary cam arm 4:6, and meansfor shifting the camarm to move the pin adalternately in oppositedirections to render the cams 32 and 33active and in active,substantially as described;

5. A circular knitting machine, 'having,-in combination, aneedlecylinder provided with long anrl short'buttneedles, means for raisingthe longbutt needles into the in-' active plane, meansfforshifting oneof the means operated by said needle for shifting said needle andanadjacent short butt needle into the'inact-ive plane, substantially asde-. scribed.

6. A circular knitting maclnne,.hav1ng, 1n.

' combination, a needle cylinder, needles there in comprising twosubstantially semicircular groups, suture needles. niter'posed betweenthe needles atthee'nds of one group,-cams to'r.operatingeach group ofneedles, narrow-' ing and 'wideningidevices, devices for ren- ,deri ngone group-of needles inactive during the narrowing and widening, -meansfor transferringone of the inactive needles to the active series duringthe knitting 'ot'fthe first course of reciprocatory knitting,an-d meansoperated by this needle for transferring said needle and" the sutureneedle which is the last in its group t'o'the inactive series during.

the knitting of said course, substantially as described. f

7 A circularknitting machine, having, in

combination, a needle cylinder, needles there.- in comprising two sibstantially semicircular groups, suture needles interposed between theneedles at the ends of one group, cams for operating each group ofneedles, needle.-

elevating and needle" depressing pickers for effecting thenarrowingandidening, vde vlces'for rendermg one'group otneedles m activeduringthe narroi'ving and widening,

means for rendering one of the widening pickers active duringthe'firstaeverse stroke of reciprocatory" knitting, and a, plc'k'erarranged to be operated by the needle def pressed by said needledepressing picker and to transfer said needle and that suture needlewhich is the last in its group to the inactive series during stroke,substantially as de scribed. r

'8. A circular knittingina'chine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder, needles therein comprising twosubstantially semicirculargroups of'long and short butt needles, short butt suturejneedlesinterposed v picker and the adjacent short buttsuture need-le'ito' theinactive series ,during' saidstroke, substantially as described.

9. A circular knitting machine, having, in I combinatioma needlecylinder provided with long and shortbutt needles, short butt sutureneedles between the needles at the ends of the series of long buttneedles,-main knitting cams, supplemental knitting, cams,

means for causing the supplemental cams? to Idle depressed byisaidneedle depressin'g 1 act upon only the long butt needles-during 4reciprocatory knitting, means for transter ring a long butt needleto;.the-'active"series during thefirst reverse stroke of reciprocatoryknitting, and a needle elevating picker arranged to raise saidneedleandthe adja-;

cent short butt suture needle int'o" the ina'ctive series and arrangedout of the path ,of the longbutt needles passing through thesupplemental knitting cams during-reciprd. catory' knitting,substantially as describedz Y 10. A circular knitting'machine, having,

in combination, a. needle cylinder, needles" therein comprising twosubstantially semicircular groups, suture needles miter-posed betweenthe needles at the end of one group,

cam-s for operating each group of needles,

means for rendering one group of needles inactive during. the narrowingand widen ing,'and a picker, means for causing the picker to act onthesuture needle at the rear end of its group during the first course ofreciprocatory knitting mounted to ride along the needles during rotaryknitting'and ar rangedout of the path of the needles duringreciprocatory knitting, snbstantially as des'cribed. Y 11. A clrcularknitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long and short buttneedles, a picker having a needle shifting lip adapted tooper ateon thebuttsot two'adjacent needles, and

a shoulder arranged out of the path of passing short butts and to beengaged by. a'pass ing long butt, substantiallyas described.

12. A eirenlar knitting machine, having, to be acted upon by saidpicker, eubstan- 10 in combination, a 'needlecylin'der provided tiallyas descnbed.

d with long and short-butt needles; a picker In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature,

having a needle shifting Iip adapted to Opel" in preseneeof two"witnesses."

ate on the buttsof two adjacent needles, and X PAQUETTE 2 a shoulderarranged out of the path of passing short butts and to be engaged byaass- Witnesses ing long butt,-and means for shifting a 0113; t v EDWARnMARTIN, I butt needle into pqsition to act-upon and AUQUSI'E Hg-JEAN.

